Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has categorically denied rumors that Ripple attempted to acquire Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, in a deal reportedly valued at up to $5 billion.
Kevin Hassett, one of Donald Trump’s top economic advisers, has disclosed owning more than $1m worth of stock in Coinbase , the largest publicly traded crypto exchange in the United States. Bloomberg reported the stake Tuesday, citing a newly released financial disclosure, sparking debate over potential conflicts of interest as the White House continues to shape digital asset policy. The document, filed with the Office of Government Ethics, lists the Coinbase shares as vested stock and values them in the $1m to $5m range. The draft filing, which has yet to be approved by the ethics office, also shows Hassett holds at least $7.6m in total assets. Kevin Hassett, one of Trump’s top economic aides, revealed holding a stake in Coinbase worth at least $1 million, according to his financial disclosure https://t.co/aRA9Sv8eA5 — Bloomberg (@business) June 3, 2025 Hassett Serves on Coinbase Advisory Board Alongside Ex-Trump Officials Hassett, who serves as director of the National Economic Council, received $50,001 in salary from Coinbase for sitting on its Academic and Regulatory Advisory Council. That board also includes several figures with ties to the Trump administration, including former SEC chair Jay Clayton and former CIA general counsel Courtney Elwood. Before returning to government in January, Hassett earned $1.5m in employment income from institutions such as Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and the Milken Foundation. He also collected nearly half a million dollars in speaking fees from major financial firms including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and PIMCO. While the size of his Coinbase holding has not yet triggered public concern among ethics experts or crypto policy analysts, it does raise questions about potential influence on regulatory direction. Hassett Disclosure Signals Alignment With Industry as Rules Take Shape Hassett’s position gives him direct input on issues that could affect Coinbase’s operations, from securities classifications to federal oversight of crypto exchanges. His investment also signals personal financial alignment with the growth of the crypto sector. The size and nature of the stake suggest that Hassett has a vested interest in the continued success of digital asset markets, which may shape how he approaches policy. Analysts note that this could translate into greater support within the administration for innovation-friendly frameworks and efforts to position the US as a leader in digital finance. Hassett has previously worked with crypto policy groups and blockchain think tanks, adding to his profile as one of the administration’s most crypto-engaged figures. His past affiliations and advisory roles deepen the perception that he may lean toward policies that benefit industry players like Coinbase. Unlike cabinet members or agency heads, White House advisers like Hassett are not required to submit detailed ethics agreements or divest from assets that could pose conflicts of interest. That lack of formal constraint has drawn criticism in previous administrations and is likely to remain a point of concern as crypto regulation moves to the forefront of economic policymaking. Hassett’s disclosure is among the first from senior officials in Trump’s second term. While it shows growing institutional support for digital assets, it also points to the need for transparency and clear ethical boundaries as the government weighs how to regulate a rapidly evolving industry. The post Trump Advisor Kevin Hassett Holds $1M+ Coinbase Stake – What Does This Signal for Crypto Policy? appeared first on Cryptonews .
The post Trump-Backed DeFi Project WLFI Airdrops USD1 Tokens to Presale Participants appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News The Trump family-backed DeFi project WLFI has transferred 4 million USD1 tokens and is airdropping USD1 tokens worth $47 to users believed to have joined the WLFI presale through BulkTransfer. This $47 airdrop is thought to symbolize Donald Trump, who is the 47th President of the United States. The move aims to reward early supporters and generate interest in the project, blending political symbolism with decentralized finance.
The California State Assembly unanimously passed a bill, AB 1180, on June 4 with 68 votes in favor, allowing the state government to accept Bitcoin and other digital assets as payment methods. The crypto payment bill is now under review by the state Senate. The bill requires the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) to submit a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2028. The report should contain the number and value of cryptocurrency transactions processed, the technical and regulatory challenges encountered, and recommendations for payments under other laws and to other state government agencies to be made using digital financial assets. According to official documents, the bill will sunset on July 1, 2031. Crypto payment bill aims to modernize state payment solutions 🇺🇸 JUST IN: California Assembly passes bill to allow the state to receive payments in Bitcoin and digital currencies. It passed 68-0, and now heads to the Senate. pic.twitter.com/3JWXlpuEWh — Bitcoin Laws (@Bitcoin_Laws) June 3, 2025 The legislation establishes the Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL), which is a licensing and regulatory framework administered by the DFPI for digital financial asset activity. The bill also prohibits an individual from engaging in digital financial asset business activity without a license from DFPI on or after July 1, 2025. Member of the State Assembly Avelino Valencia, who presented the bill, acknowledged that it was a first-of-its-kind initiative. He noted that the AB 1180 bill would establish a pilot program authorizing the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) to allow for the payment of fees using digital finance assets. “Very excited about this. Having gone to school at San Jose State during the time that this technology was being created, I firmly believe this will be fully integrated into our society in the near future.” – Avelino Valencia , Member of the California State Assembly. Valencia championed the initiative, emphasizing its strategic importance in modernizing payment systems. Bitcoin advocate and political strategist Dennis Porter welcomed the Assembly’s move as a significant milestone in cryptocurrency acceptance in government transactions. Valencia noted that AB 1180 requires a licensee to maintain specific records related to digital financial asset business activity with a California resident for five years after the date of the transaction. It also prohibits a covered person from exchanging, transferring, or storing a stablecoin or engaging in digital financial asset administration unless the issuer of the stablecoin is a licensee, a person who applies for a license, a bank, or a California or federal trust. The legislation also provides that specified sections of the DFAL related to disclosures, consumer protections, and stablecoin requirements will be operative on July 1, 2025. According to Valencia, AB 1180 will ensure that the process and challenges of paying state fees with cryptocurrencies can be studied and improved upon. He also expects the bill to keep pace with evolving consumer preferences since Colorado, Utah, and Louisiana already accept crypto payments. Legislation faces hurdles in converting crypto to fiat We are getting a payment provider to accept crypto equivalent and deposit the dollars into the state’s treasury for that amount. It is kind of like credit card payments, with the bonus that there are no returned payments! pic.twitter.com/H8MaFV1ojE — Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) February 23, 2022 The California Blockchain Advocacy Coalition argued that all states accepting cryptocurrency convert it into dollars using a payment processor, which adds additional charges. The coalition noted that Colorado uses PayPal payment processing, which charges a $1 service fee to convert crypto into dollars, plus 1.83% of the payment amount, and requires the use of PayPal Currency Hub. The trade association noted that the State of California is not set up to accept digital asset payments. It also acknowledged that there is no mechanism to convert cryptocurrency payments to dollars, which is the basis of the state budget. Previous legislation allowing the use of cryptocurrency for state payments failed. The bill includes AB 953, which requires the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to accept stablecoins for tax payments from licensed cannabis businesses. The legislation was referred to Assembly Banking and Finance and Revenue and Taxation but was gut and amended related to land use. The AB 3090 bill requires the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to issue and deliver to the Legislature a report on how the state, cities, and counties could receive any cannabis tax amounts through stablecoin transactions but failed to go through. SB 1275 also authorizes a state agency to accept digital assets as a payment method to provide government services. The legislation failed to pass out of the Senate. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot
The recent rally in the US Stock Market has sparked renewed interest in how traditional financial gains might influence the cryptocurrency sector, highlighting key indexes like the S&P 500, Nasdaq,
The post Spanish Coffee Chain Vanadi Coffee Plans $1.1B Bitcoin Investment appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News Vanadi Coffee, a popular Spanish coffee chain, is planning to invest over $1.1 billion in Bitcoin as it shifts toward becoming a “Bitcoin-first” company. Chairman Salvador Martí, inspired by MicroStrategy’s approach, aims to raise funds through a stock issuance and will seek board approval to move forward with the Bitcoin accumulation strategy. This bold step marks a major transformation for Vanadi Coffee, blending its traditional business with a growing focus on digital assets.
Coinbase has argued that a securities lawsuit from Oregon’s attorney general should be heard in federal court because it’s an attempt to “invade the province of federal law.”
Bitcoin holders have recently increased their profit-taking activities. This trend aligns with Bitcoin's bullish technical signals and new price records. Continue Reading: Bitcoin Enthusiasts React as Profit-Taking Gains Momentum The post Bitcoin Enthusiasts React as Profit-Taking Gains Momentum appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
Whale investor James Wynn recently disclosed his aggressive strategy to capitalize on Bitcoin’s deflationary nature amid rising inflation concerns. Wynn revealed on social media his intent to employ 40x leverage
TL;DR Ripple’s native token has underperformed over the past few weeks, dropping below a crucial support zone of around $2.3, which has now become resistance. However, this hasn’t deterred some of the most vocal members of the XRP Army from setting out big, and perhaps outrageously sounding, price predictions. Here are some of them. Moonshot Not Far Away? Citing their own forecasts based on the Fibonacci pattern, CryptoBilbuwoo0 noted that the day when XRP heads to the moon is “not far away.” The analyst also noted XRP’s previous performance when the asset peaked at around $3.3, which was inches away from the 2018 all-time high, and posted the next targets. They range from more modest $4.29 and $6.78 to some quite bullish of around $26.6-$28.8 and go all the way into the land of insanity – $589 and $1458.3. While we are still on the island of massive price predictions, which would require a mindblowing surge and outplacing heavyweights like BTC, Apple, Amazon, and many others, here’s another example. JackTheRippler, among the biggest XRP bulls, outlined a rumor that the GENIUS stablecoin act can somehow take the token’s price to $250. How will that happen remains undisclosed; perhaps it’s somehow related to Ripple’s own stablecoin (RLUSD), but we will have to wait and see. BarriC also headed to the same island, saying that $10 is just the beginning of an explosive price action. Moreover, the analyst put a slightly bigger target for Ripple’s coin that contains two more zeros at the end. $XRP to $10 is just the beginning of the explosive price action we will see for #XRP $XRP to $1,000 is where $XRP is heading in the near future — BarriC (@B_arri_C) June 3, 2025 Some of these targets might sound outrageous, to say the least, given the necessary market cap growth XRP has to experience to reach a token price of $10, $100, or even $1,000. Just for instance, its market cap would need to explode to around $500 billion if XRP taps $10, given today’s circulation, and you can do your calculations for the other targets. This would make it a lot bigger than ETH. Here’s what ChatGPT thinks about the viability of XRP surging to such heights. XRP to Dominate 2025 XRP DRAGON was also bullish on the asset’s future price trajectory, indicating that people have “a few days left to accumulate XRP at cheap price of $2-$2.3.” After that, Ripple’s token will “dominate this year,” and they exemplified it with a big green prediction candle. $XRP will dominate this year That gives everyone a few days left to accumulate #XRP at the cheap price of $2-$2.30 Once we get to the second week of June 2025 we will experience the beginning of the biggest alt season anyone has ever seen That’s when we see the next god… pic.twitter.com/mDCAYjBcv2 — XRP DRAGON (@DRAGON_XRP66) June 4, 2025 After posting all of these massive price predictions, it is essential to note that they are nothing more than just that – merely predictions. We are not saying they are impossible, as the crypto market has seen some wild things in the past, but investors should conduct their own thorough research and not rely blindly on online forecasts. The post Will XRP Dominate 2025? Recent Shocking Ripple Price Predictions appeared first on CryptoPotato .